Global development often seems to exceed expectations. The main reason is that it is very difficult to synchronize and coordinate various factors for promoting the world's development. Convergence became a buzzword several years ago, but it was not until recently that various factors were gradually put in place to allow convergence at several levels.
With IP technology as the basis, the communications industry and IT technology seem to be rapidly converging, and both users and manufacturers are correspondingly adopting more active attitudes.
With applications, however, the convergence of various communication methods and technologies is mainly in the form of terminal convergence. The slogan "BB call, mobile phone and Shangwutong, none can do without" was introduced by the manufacturer of Shangwutong personal digital assistant several years ago. Many Chinese in a society that is flooded with information have since forgotten it. The slogan is still true today, but the difference is that their functions are integrated into one mobile phone. (In a sense, BB call has been replaced by text messaging.) For many electronic consumers, the mobile phone, MP3 player and notebook computer are indispensable. Apple intends to change this dynamic with the recent launch of its "iPhone". Terminal convergence is quickly becoming reality; whoever controls the terminal will control the information channels of the future.
A more profound influence comes from social transformation caused by the convergence of such technologies and applications.
In the not too distant past, people had to be tied to home or the office in order to surf the Internet. However, with the continuous development of mobile communications technology, as well as the increasing strength of the terminal functions, the mobile terminal represented by mobile phones is becoming an increasingly preferred way of getting online. Recently, mobile operators made a large-scale deployment on high-speed upload technology, which enables mobile phone users to upload pictures and video fragments more rapidly and conveniently. The mobile phone offers stronger real time functionality and larger customer bases. Because of this, the capacity of the popular "Web 2.0" is quite likely to be expanded due to the advancement of such technologies. Furthermore, the advancement of technology and application lowers the shift cost between the real world and the virtual world, making the dividing line between them vaguer. That blurred line can be considered a kind of convergence of social categories, namely, the convergence of the real and virtual worlds. That kind of massive convergence not only brings about great challenges for our imagination, but also allows the business community in the real world to discover new business opportunities and prospects for development. Like the title of the wildly popular 3D Internet game "Second Life" implies, we may soon be able to open a door on an entirely new world.
This is the abstract of a Special Coverage on http://www.cbfeature.com/.
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